As companies strive for excellence, safety in the workplace has become a significant facet in their quest. It is no wonder companies are developing fire-safety plans that include training of fire wardens. Such training is pivotal to keeping the staff safe in case of a fire emergency. Volunteers are guided on how to behave during emergencies and what actions to take to ensure that everyone comes out safe. That said, there are a few areas that most businesses do not examine thoroughly when preparing to train fire wardens. These mistakes can erode the gains expected from a fire warden training. Read on to find out more.
Staff Retention — First, it is vital to understand that fire wardens are volunteers from among the staffs. Therefore, fire wardens are not bound by any company rules concerning their roles and responsibilities. That is why it is critical to examine staff retention or staff turnover trends over the past few years. If the business finds it difficult to retain staff, then it is no guarantee that the company will always have enough fire wardens on standby. The reason is that there are high chances that most trained fire wardens will soon leave the business if turnover is high. Therefore, staff retention is vital to ensuring trained fire wardens stay with the company for years. Then, rather than organize many training sessions for new staff, you can organize refresher training for the continuing wardens.
Visibility — For an emergency plan to work effectively, trained fire wardens must be easily identifiable by staff and non-employees in the facility. The reason is that most people are thrown into a panic in fire emergencies and need reassurance that they are safe. It will greatly help if such individuals can identify a fire warden quickly. Therefore, ensure that you offer fire warden graduates brightly-coloured identification gear such as hats or armbands. Such gear helps to make the fire wardens visible to other staffs and occupants in the building.
Deputies and Assistants — In as much as being a fire warden is a voluntary pursuit, it should not negate the fact that it is necessary to have multiple volunteers with a hierarchy. Unfortunately, management often fails to recognize this fact and fail to designate positions to the wardens. It can be risky because without someone to lead fire emergency operations, then evacuation efforts can get messy and fatal. Moreover, it goes against the Australian Standard 3745-2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities, which requires that buildings appoint a chief and deputy fire warden. Therefore, it is crucial to appoint a chief fire warden, two deputies, and their assistants. The measure ensures that there is always someone to lead an emergency operation.
Visit a website like https://www.fireprotectionservices.com.au/ in order to learn more about fire warden training resources near you.
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